Windmill



(No Model.) 2v Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. 'K. HUMPHREY.

WINDMILL.

No. 603,905. Patented May 10,1898.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' S. K. HUMPHREY. WINDMILL.

No. 603,905. Patented May 10,1898.

WITNESSES SETH K. HUMPHREY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 603,905, dated. May 10,1898.

Application filed August 28, 1897. Serial No. 649,880. (No model.)

I To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SETH K. HUMPHREY, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of I windmills of that kindwhich comprise a series of feathering vanes rotating about a horizontalshaft and rotating upon horizontal journals fixed to the vanes.

This invention is an improvement upon the device shown in Letters PatentNo. 531,038, granted to me December 18, 1894..

The invention consists in mounting the vanes upon a rotating frame andconnecting them by means of crank-arms attached to the vane-shafts withan eccentric which is rotated about the main shaft in such a manner thatthe vanes will be rotated upon their shafts at one-half the speed of therotation about the main shaft.

The invention also comprises certain means by which the angular positionof the eccentric maybe changed so as to throw the vanes into aninoperative position, th us stopping the mill.

The invention further consistsof certain constructions which will behereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the windmill withone of the vanes removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation on theline 2 2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation on the line33 in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, O represents the supporting-framework carrying thewindmill. This framework may be of'any suitable construction and isfixed so that it may not be turned upon an axis to face the mill indifierent directions. It is built so that the windmill will face in thedirection of the most prevalent winds and is not thereafter shifted.Amill constructed on the principle of the present mill will runadvantageously with the wind varying considerably from the direction to-Ward which the mill faces.

Upon the upper part of the frame 0 is journaled a horizontal shaft A.This shaft is journaled at each end thereof in bearings in the frame 0,and outside its journals said shaft is provided with a pulley A or anyother suitable connection by which power may be communicated to thepoint desired. Upon the shaft A and within the frame 0 are placedspiders B, which are secured to rotate with the shaft and are providedwith sockets to receive the arms B, carrying the vanes. I have hereinshown onlyfour such arms, which ordinarily will be found sufficient. maybe used if at any time desired. The mill will, however, worksatisfactorily with a less number of arms, two being the least whichwill give satisfactory results.

Upon the outer ends of the arms B are pivoted the shafts b of the vanesI). These shafts and the vanes are pivoted in such a manner that thevanes may rotate within the frame formed by the arms B and spiders B.Upon one end of the shafts b are fixed crank-arms f, which are so fixedwith reference to the position of the vane that they are all atdifferent angles, the arms upon the consecutive vanes varying forty-fivedegrees from each other. As a result of this the crank-arms f areparallel at all times, as will be seen by examining Fig. 2. As a greateror less number of vanes are used the variation in the position of thearms f will correspondingly differ, being less if there are more armsand greater if there are less arms. The body of the vanes may be made ofcanvas, wood, metal, or any suitable material.

One of the spiders B is formed with a bevel-gear D upon the outersurface thereof. This spider and gear are preferably made in one piece,although they may be made separate, if desired. The frame O is providedwith a gear-wheel D of the same size as and placed exactly opposite thegear-wheel D. The gear-Wheel D,which is fixed to the frame, is mountedupon a center, so that it may be rotated through an angle of ninetydegrees. In the drawings this center is shown as provided with lugs 01,hooking over the inner edge of the ring which constitutes the wheel.This holds the wheel in place and permits its oscillation. To limit theoscillation of the wheel, it is provided with a stop or lug 9, adaptedto engage two of the adjacent lugs d.

More arms The ring forming the wheel D is provided withoppositely-extending arms G, which at either end are provided with cordsG and G or other suitable connecting means by which the wheel may beoscillated from a distance.

Mounted upon the shaft A between the gears D and D is a casting E. Asshown in the drawings, this casting is in skeleton form and consists ofa triangular-shaped frame having a pivoting-journal surrounding theshaft A. This forms, in effect, an eccentric of large throw. At thecorners of the triangle are mounted rollers e, which are flanged orgrooved, so that the ring F, which surrounds the same, will be held inplace thereon, this ring F constituting an eccentric-strap. Said ring isconnected by means of the bars Fwith the crank-pins) upon the outer endsof the cranks f. The frame E carries a bevelpinion D which meshes withboth of the gears D and D. As the frame B, carrying the windmill-vanes,rotates upon its axis the gear D, mounted thereon,will rotate thebevelpinion D and the frame E, carrying this pinion, will travel aboutthe shaft A at a speed equal to one-half the speed of the windmill. Inconsequence of this the vanes will be turned upon their axes once whilethey make two revolutions about the central shaft A. The eccentricity ofthe frame should be equal to the throw of the cranks f.

The normal position of the vanes when at work will be that shown by fulllines in Fig. 2. In this view the upper vane is vertical, while the twovanes on a level with the shaft A are at an angle of forty-five degrees,and the lower vane is horizontal. The mill will thus be able to workwith the wind blowing in either direction. The two middle vanes will beacted upon by the deflection of the air, so as to rotate the wheel inthe same direction as that caused by the wind-pressure upon the uppervanes. The vanes will also be operated even if the wind variesconsiderably from adirect front wind. This variation may be as much assixty degrees to either side of the center. The mill will also berotated equally well with the wind from the front or rear, but inopposite direction, so that the mill is capable of operation by a windcoming from any point within. one hundred and twenty degrees on eitherside of the mill. A wind which comes from a quartering direction willact upon the vanes by deflection, so as to rotate it,'although with notquite as much force as it would were it from a front or rear direction.In view of this fact it is thought desirable to make the supportsstationary, and thus avoid the complications due to rotating the mill,so as to face in the direction of the wind.

In order to throw the mill out of operation, the gear D is rotated uponits bearings through an arc of ninety degrees. This is done by means ofthe cords G and G If the gear D be rotated upon its center, it will actupon the pinion D to carry it along with the gear-D. This will result inshifting the eccentric through an angle of forty-five de grees, whichwill throw the vanes into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.In this position one of the middle vanes is horizontal and the othervertical, while the top and bottom vanes are at an angle of fortyfivedegrees, extendin gin opposite directions. As a consequence the windwill have no turning effect upon the wheel. In case it is desired toplace all of the vanes horizontal this may be accomplished by releasingthe cranks f from the rods f, connecting them with the eccentric andlockin g the vanes to some fixed point of support.

The frame of the eccentric shown herewith is one which is cheap inconstruction, cannot easily get out of order, and causes very littlefriction. The method of operating the vanes herein shown is muchsimpler, and the vanes are stronger and less liable to get out of orderthan described and shown in my previous patent. Experience has shownthat the winds in any locality, through at least eighty-five per cent.of the time, are within the working range of a windmill of this sort. Itis therefore thought unnecessary to provide any means of shifting thewindmill so as to face the wind.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A windmill having a main horizontal shaft, fixedbearings for said shaft, arms carried on said shaft, vanes carried bysaid arms on horizontal journals, crank-arms fixed to the vane-journals,an eccentric mounted to rotate about the main shaft at one-half thespeed thereof, a strap surrounding said eccentric, and connections fromsaid strap to the crank-arms upon the main journals, substantially asdescribed.

2. A windmill having a main horizontal shaft, fixed bearings for saidshaft, arms carried on said shaft, vanes carried by said arms onhorizontal journals, crank-arms fixed to the vane-journals, an eccentricmounted to rotate about the main shaft at one-half the speed thereof, astrap surrounding said eccentric, connections from said strap to thecrank arms upon the vane journals, and means for shifting the angularposition of the said eccentric to throw the vanes into an inoperativeposition substantially as described.

3. A feathering device for windmills of the class herein described,comprising a frame pivoted concentric with the windmill-shaft andcarrying three or more rollers, said rollers being tangent to acircumscribed eccentric circle, a ring surrounding said rollers,connections from said ring to the vanes for oscillating them, a bevel-gear attached to the wheel-shaft, and a similar wheel fixed to themill-supports and facing the first-named wheel, and a bevel-pinioncarried by the eccentric-frame and engaging both gears, substantially asdescribed.

ICC

4. Afeathering device for Windmills of the ing adapted to have a limitedoscillation, class herein described, comprising a frame arms connectedthereto, cords or similar conpivoted eccentric to the Windmill-shaft andnections from said arms for operating them carrying three or morerollers, said rollers befrom a distance, and a bevel-pinion carried 5ing tangent to a circumscribed eccentric cirby the eecentric frame andengaging both 15 cle, a ring surrounding said rollers, conneegears,substantially as described.

t-ions from said ring to the vanes for oscillat- SETH K. HUMPHREY. ingthem, a bevel-gear attached to the wheel- Witnesses: shaft and a similargear fixed to the supports FRANCIS LEEDS,

10 and facing the first gear, said latter gear be- GRACE A. DAMON.

